The Petrified Forest was never a secret, but initially, it was not widely known outside of Arizona (except among geologists, among whom news...

Paul and Jack Fodge were two brothers with dubious reputations. Aged 26 and 23 respectively, both had already spent time in prison. They did...

Dan Fain around the time of the incident. It was seven years before the Rafter 11 would brand its first bovine; when Norman Fain was just a ...

  The Weekly Journal-Miner of August 13, 1890, captured some of the unique language used around Yavapai County and Arizona in their earliest...

Payson, Arizona, claims their rodeo is the "World's Oldest Continuous Rodeo since 1884." It's a contention that relies lar...

In anticipation of the great 1921 event, Grace Sparkes wrote: “Oh boy!  Can’t you hear the grinding of the old chute doors, the smell of cle...

His name was Frank James Stephens. He was the son of a rancher and Mohave County supervisor, WB Stephens, who owned a ranch along the Sandy ...

Sam Peckinpah was in Prescott directing the 199th movie made in Yavapai County, “Junior Bonner, when he noticed a nude painting titled “Olym...

Due to their over-the-top, Mardi Gras-quality costumes, pictures of “The Horribles” often appear around Halloween in Prescott. However, thei...

Before becoming a subdivision, Deep Well was a working ranch. It was also the site for Yavapai County’s cowboy camp meeting starting in 1945...

The only surviving image from "The Cringer" There are no known surviving copies of the first movie filmed in Yavapai County. Howev...

One might think that carrying the moniker of “World’s Oldest Rodeo” would imply it being the first. However, the famous rodeo we love is act...

Lester Ruffner, Arena Director, Frontier Days Early etiquette at movie theaters was sacred. People paid good money to watch and demande...

Perhaps it was because their hearts were extra-lonely. Perhaps it was because they were caught up in the romance of Western novels. Per...

At the height of the rush, a mere 20 pounds of 65% tungsten ore would net its owner the equivalent of $1300 today.  In Yavapai County, thi...

The Courier's editor needed to pinch himself. "Will Rogers of Claremore, OK--yes, indeed, THE Will Rogers, gum-chewing humorist ...

"Fred Harvey civilized the west with his '3000 Miles of Hospitality' that consisted of an extensive chain of hotels, shops, a...

It was inevitable that Grace Sparks and Grace Chapman would join together. They both had a deep love for serving civically. Even in their ...

When automobiles were new inventions, it was inevitable that at least some cowboys would decide to try to replace their horses with cars i...

In this premier edition of Cowboy Escapades (formerly titled "Crazy Cowboy Tricks,) we look at true stories of bear roping and buffa...